G167 J 1 iii 54 a-a am-ši SV(2) – Expansive plus in J, lacking in W.^604
W 3 iii 2’ omits
G168 C iv 2 J an-nu-tum OV(l) – C and c have the wrong case vowel for the oblique plural.
c 21 iii 4’ iii 54 an-nu-ti an-nu-˹tum˺
(^) G169 C iv 3 (^) UD.MEŠ (^) OV – The plural marker is written as ME in
J C.^605
c^12 vi 1 iii 5’ UD.MEŠ [UD.M]E^
(^) G170 C iv 3 (^) lu-ú-uḫ-su-sa-a[m (^) SV(1) – C has an additional precative particle,
J c 1 iii 54 aḫ-su-sa-am-ma lacking in the other sources.^606
2 iii 4’ ˹ aḫ˺[
G171 J 1 iv 1 am-ši OV(l) – Possible difference in pronuncia-
W 3 iii 3’ am-si tion. 607
(^604) The plus, √mašû, “to forget,” is noted in A.R. George, (^) Gilgamesh, 891, as a dittography from the fol-
lowing line. This is due to its singular occurrence in J, against W, and its absence from the Old Babylonian
epic of Atra-ḫasīs. He translates the lines accordingly, minus the repeated negative phrase: “Oh gods, let
these [great flies] be lapis lazuli (beads) around my neck, so that I remember these days and never forget
them!” (A.R. George, Gilgamesh, 715). The repeated phrase ai imšî does read well enough in context,
though, and can thus be counted as an alternative reading in the light of Rule 1: ilī annûti lu uqnî kišādia ai
amšî; ūmē annûti lu aḫsusamma ana dāriš ai amšî, “Oh gods, may these (great flies) be lapis lazuli about
my neck, I will not forget; may I surely remember these days for ever, I will not forget.” An alternative
reading that retains the repetition is given in J. Bottéro, L'Épopée de Gilgameš, 195: Ô dieux ici pre-
sents ... , je n’oublierai jamais (ces) lazulites de mon collier! Jamais je n’oublierai ... , ces jours; j’en ferai
perpetuellement mémoire!” [Oh gods here present, never shall I forget (these) lazulites of my necklace!
Never shall I forget these days; I will always remember]. 605
Two readings are possible for c: the second sign is either a variant writing of the plural determinative,
ME, or a phonetic complement. In either case the reading is 606 ūmī, “days.”
The precative in C is written as preterite in J and c. This is counted as an additional particle in C, where
the cohortative sense of the verb luḫsusamma, “may I surely remember,” is rendered as aḫsamma, “I have
surely remembered,” (both forms with emphatic “-ma”) in the other sources. A.R. George, Gilgamesh, 891,
notes that the lack of the predicate in J and c is a corruption. 607
W may reflect a variant pronunciation of the sibilant /š/ > /s/ for the lexeme √mašû, “to forget,” cf. J.
Hämeen-Anttila, Neo-Assyrian Grammar, 9-10.